A Story for Lu Ten
by carriebess
Summary: As his son lay dying General Iroh tells Lu Ten the story of his life, beginning with the tale of his mother, Illah the Golden Haired.


"Listen, my son, and I shall tell you the story of my mother while you are sleeping." Iroh spoke softly to his son, who lay as still as death upon the crimson silk bed surrounded by the light of a hundred candles. The general fell easily into the traditional cadence of the storytellers art and his deep, rich voice lent gravity to the words. It has been a night and a day since Lu Ten had been injured in the attempt to end the siege and take Ba Sing Se by stealth. He had tried to dissuade his son but Lu Ten had been so hungry for the glory he would have won if the Great Wall had fallen. The guilt that was twisting like snakes through his stomach was crippling. He should never have allowed Lu Ten to accompany the men who had attempted to scale the wall, only to be thrown down by the earth benders guards. The heavy red panels of the tent snapped in the wind, breathing in and out like the sides of some enormous beast. "What is written in the official history is a lie told by my father to hide his crime.

"My mother was Illah the Golden Haired, and her beauty was such that she was not allowed out of the temple that was her home for fear that that the sun would refuse to shine for jealousy if it glimpsed her fair face. Her hair was the yellow gold of the hearth fire that warms you on a winters night and her eyes were the blue of lightning. Her family were the last inhabitants of an island where the dragons had once made their home and they were worshipped as both gods and ancestors. Illah said that one of the first dragons was a shapeshifter and for the love of a beautiful maiden he abased himself and took on the weak form of a man and mated with her, giving their children the gift of breath of fire. And from that time always was a maiden chosen who was without flaw to worship in the temple of the Great Dragon, a bride should the dragons choose to honor them once more.

The rumors of Illah's beauty spread throughout the kingdom until it reached the capital, where a young prince had a harem full of beautiful women but no one who had touched his heart. Azulon was the most gifted Firebender that our nation had ever produced. There were many who still remembered Avatar Roku then and my father was said to have been a match in skill. He was full of the fire of youth, and he longed for a chance to distinguish himself. But his father, Sozin, held the reigns of power tightly even when he was a very old man lest his talented son outshine him. So when Azulon asked permission to venture to the farthest reaches of the Fire Nation in search of the great prize Sozin agreed readily. Perhaps he hoped to rid himself of a troublesome son." Iroh chuckled to himself.

"Azulon gathered an army together and marched toward the border of the Fire Nation but misfortune followed them like an foul spirit. A sickness rose up and killed many of the soldiers, bandits attacked again and again, and even the elements battered them. Rain and windstorms lashed the group until the only one left when they reached the shore was my father, but even this did not deter him, for in the distance he could see the island shining like a jewel. He stole the boat of a fisherman and sailed towards the island but he was not a sailor and he crashed the little boat upon the rocks that circled the island like a string of pearls around the neck of a noblewoman. He washed up on shore naked, bruised, and alone.

"The brothers of Illah were fierce, as befitted the descendants of the dragon. Twelve seasoned warriors, they were sworn to protect the temple and the bride of the dragon with their lives. But pity moved them when Azulon was found for they could see that he was a warrior like themselves who had suffered greatly. They took him to the temple for Illah to care for and left him alone with her."

Iroh laughed. "Well, you can guess what happened next. Love bloomed between them like a wildfire. They were married before the golden statue of the great dragon before the week was done and Illah rejoiced that the line of her family would not die out. And for one season they were happy as Illah continued to be the priestess of the temple and Azulon learned from her brothers the forgotten forms of the original fire benders.

"And then one day Azulon looked across the water and saw a great fleet of Fire Nation ships sailing toward their island. A messenger hawk was sent and Azulon learned that his father had died, and he was to be crowned the new Fire Lord and his heart was filled with fierce joy. He ran to the temple and told Illah to make ready to leave but she refused, for she could never leave the temple that was her home. Azulon raged and would have carried her off by force but her brothers circled around her and he knew that in order to take Illah from the island he would have to kill each of her brothers in turn. So rather then leave her behind he fought an Agni Kai with each of the dragon warriors in turn until their bodies littered the ground in front of Illah, who was three months pregnant. Azulon bound her and placed her in the boat but before he sailed to meet the ships he set fire to the fragile trees of the Island, that no one would ever learn of his crime. The last glimpse my mother had of her home and family was of watching the fire from which it had been born consume it. She said the smoke formed the shape of a dragon that roared as though in pain as the spirit of the island died and her hair, which sparkled in the sun like gold, turned pure white.

"Her love for him, which had been fragile like a moon flower, died in that moment, replaced by a hatred that would burn for the rest of her life. She and Azulon sailed to the capital and he was crowned with the golden flame and I was born. No matter how much he tried to win her back Illah refused to look upon him with love again. I was born of their love, my brother, Ozai, was born many years later of her hatred, for Azulon had forced himself upon her that he might have another child in line for the throne." Iroh lapsed into silence as he remembered his mother as he had known her, still beautiful but gripped by the utter blackness of despair. There would be days that she would lock herself in a dark room in the harem, speaking to no one and allowing no food or water to cross her lips. As a child he would try to coax one of her rare smiles to life, making her the perfect cup of tea that was one of her remaining pleasures. There had been a smile on her face when he had found her dead in her chambers, as though in death she was once more the bride of the Dragon surrounded by her brothers.

Iroh's mind was more at peace as he gazed at his beloved son. "Perhaps when you wake I shall tell you another story, but maybe one that is not so filled with sadness. Like the time I discovered that the breath of fire can come from more then your mouth." He laughed at the memory. "Sleep well, my son." Iroh leaned over and kissed Lu Ten's forehead, and the tear that fell from his eyes was lost in the unbound dark hair that flowed over the red silk pillow.


End file.
